My Hero
by McRaider
Summary: Ray looked in complete awe as his brother handled the situation. Set directly after the episode Ride Along


My Hero  
McRaider  
Summary: Set directly during and after The Ride-Along, a beautiful episode between the brothers that highlights the dangers of Robert Barone's job and Ray's view of it.  
Author's Note: This is in Ray's POV, there may be a chapter later on set in Robert's POV, but I have to see how this one goes first.

"Get down," he instructed.

"Huh?" I felt numb, was I really watching this as he slipped out of the booth and behind another one near by.

"Get down," he ordered in a firmer but quiet tone as he looked at me.

"Robert I left my vest in the car," I managed as I slowly slipped under the table, my stomach churning as I watched him.

Robert glanced over at me again, "And whatever happens, stay down."

It escaped me for a single moment that my big brother, the guy who towered over me, picked on me all the time, beat me up as a kid and was all around jealous of me, was a police officer as I spoke the next words, "no, no, no wait--call the police?" I pleaded as he crawled across the floor on his belly.

He glared at me, "Shh," he ordered and scooted behind another table across from ours. I watched him grab a pizza from the table behind us, and flick over a glass of soda. As soon as the guy turned around I watched in utter fascination as my brother threw the pizza at him.

I felt sick, and awed all in one; my brother--my big brother. My mind jolted as I recalled everything he'd done for me since I was a little kid, how he'd protected me. I'd once told him when I was really little, three or four, that he was my hero.

I heard him talk to me, but didn't understand the words as he was all business walking out of Nemo's. I just stared at him in amazement, and perhaps fear. He'd done something I could never do; I'd never want to do.

The next morning I felt horrible that I'd been the main character in the paper. I hadn't planned it that way; I wanted my brother to know how I felt. I watched in anger, growing anger as my mother yelled at him for endangering me. Didn't they get it, he was a hero--and then it hit me as I heard them scream at me to stop reminding them about his daily danger. That they just tried to act normal, they tried to cherish every moment they had with him, because maybe they were aware how dangerous his job was, and maybe they realized more than me--that when he went to work, there was always the chance that he wouldn't return.

That though made me sick, "So you always walk Shampski this early?"

Robert shrugged, not looking at me, "I've gotta get him to the park early before all the other dogs."

"Why, he fights?"

Robert shook his head, "Nah, shy bladder."

Suddenly I felt myself jump in without hesitation, "Listen about the paper, it was supposed to be about you. You know I told them--"

"No, no, "my brother stopped me, "I get how these things work, you work for the paper, they know who you are. You're the important part." I felt my heart jump, how could he believe that, he was so much more than just another person, just some stupid cop.

"No! You were the important part!" I tried to correct him.

His brown eyes met mine, and for a moment I thought I saw gratitude in them, "All right listen, I'm fine with okay, it doesn't matter to me what people think." He replied smiling. I knew it wasn't true, maybe he didn't care what everyone thought, but he cared what I thought, and he certainly cared what my parents thought.

"I know--but I'm glad I saw that cause you were--" I paused, it had been so easy when we were kids to tell each other how we felt. Granted we'd never say how we felt everyday, but there were rare moments when we would look at each other and just knew, "You were something," I looked up at him, and I realized as he just nodded, that he knew exactly what I was thinking.

He nodded, cocking a smile, "Thanks," he managed through a slightly cracked voice.

I simply hoped he understood what it meant, that he was yet again, my hero. My big brother who protected me from all the bad things in the world; maybe it was childish and stupid, but he was my hero. Robert was so much more than just my brother. He was the best friend I had.

"Wanna go again tonight?"

I grinned at him, "Are you kidding?"

He nodded, "How about the park then?"

"You gonna button up your coat?" I questioned as we began to walk away.

"Nope."

Just like I had when I was little I grinned, "Me neither."

The End


End file.
